Redemption
by Wushu
Summary: //Aerith// AU. A once heartless assassin, he attempts to find redemption for the lives he’s taken, but can he find it in the arms of a flower girl, before it’s too late?


Title: Redemption  
Series: Final Fantasy 7  
Rating: M  
Pairing: Aeris/???  
Summary: AU. A once heartless assassin, he attempts to find redemption for the lives he's taken, but can he find it in the arms of a flower girl, before it's too late?

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or the places of final fantasy 7, Square-Enix owns them lock stock and barrel.

Author's Note: OK, so this story plans to be one of my darker ones, at least at the beginning. WARNING! There is mention of attempted rape and the fight scenes may be a little … description. But not enough to warrant an NC17 [M+]. [I hope].

**AaAaA**

Stains.

Blood.

Death.

Stains of blood, are all that I see when I look at my hands.

The blood of the countless men that I have killed over the years. Men who had families, wives, daughters, sons, people who cared about them.

Now, they are dead. Killed by my hands, by the gun I carry, or the assorted weapons I bear.

I am an assassin; I work for ShinRa, Inc., the most powerful corporation in the world. I am their top hit man.

There is no glamorization for what it is I do, I kill people that they feel are in the way, or that pose a threat to them, which is almost the same thing.

After almost 8 years of murders, I'm tired of it all. I'm tired of the death, the blood, the guilt. Now as I walk out of the ShinRa building, for what I hope is the last time, I pray to whatever benevolent being existing in the universe that I may one day find the redemption that I so desperately need.

**AaAaA**

Leaving my position in ShinRa was easier that I expected, I just had to threaten the lives of a few high up officials, and I was free to go.

Sadly, I know that with me out there loose, they'll send another assassin to kill me. I am now a liability to the safety of the company. That, however, is one roadblock that I will overcome when I get to it.

Sitting in a coffee shop, my back against the wall in the corner facing the door, I sit with my coffee. My waste of an existence laid out before me, with no real destination in mind.

I figure that I'll just roam around helping people, trying in vain to wash the blood from my hands.

Placing the cost of the coffee on the table I leave the diner. As the door closes behind me, the sounds of the bustling metropolis engulf me. The city has always been that way, it never cares who you are or what you've done, and she'd welcome you with open arms every time.

Looking at the streets around me, I decide to go back to my apartment only to realize that it's no longer home. ShinRa provided the apartment and if I return, there is a good chance that a 'colleague' will be waiting with my 'eviction notice'.

I sighed, no, I couldn't go back there, I'd have to find some other place to stay. So, as a symbol of my waste of a life I begin wandering the streets, trying to figure out what hotel would be safe to stay at.

**AaAaA**

As I was walking through the business district, I passed a bar called the Loveless, there were times when I would spend my nights there immersed in the shadows with a drink in front of me, but it never helped the guilt. I continued past it with but the barest of looks, that old life was in the past, I had a chance to redeem myself.

My thoughts were interrupted by an angelic voice, which was obviously female, for a second I thought Heaven had finally sent an Angel to call me to judgment. But as I looked toward the sound of the voice, I knew otherwise. I knew it wasn't judgment, but little did I know it would be my redemption.

"Excuse me, but would you like to buy a flower? They're only a gil." A girl in her early twenties asked. She had honey-brown hair reaching to her waist, emerald green eyes, and a pale complexion, with lips the color of roses. On her arm, a basket full of bright yellow flowers.

She wore a pink denim dress that buttoned up the front. On her feet were brown hiking boots, I smiled inwardly at this, she dressed for comfort, I liked that. Over her shoulders she wore a red denim jacket; on her wrists she wore simple bangles. Her hair was held back by a pink ribbon, a shade darker than her dress.

As I stop to look at her, she smiles at me, my heart skips a beat and I have to smile back, something I haven't done in a long time. When she smiles, her smile is bright enough to melt the ice caps or to power the entire city for a month.

"I'd love to buy a flower," I reply, only to see something I'd never thought to be possible, her smile got brighter.

She dug through her basket to find the perfect flower, which she handed to me. Taking it, I put the flower to my nose and inhaled of its deep, fragrant scent, a small smile appeared on my face.

"Here you go," I say as I hand her 10 Gil, she just looks at me in shock before trying to make change.

"Your change is … 9 Gil, wait I don't have any change," she says as she gets worried.

"Please, don't worry about it, 1 Gil for the flower and 9 are for making me do something I haven't done in a long time."

She smiles at me as she relaxes, a slight blush creeping to her cheeks.

"Tha-thank you," she stammers as she puts the money safely away.

"What is your name, I would like to know the name of the only person who has been able to make me happy these past 8 years."

"Aer-Aeris, my name is Aeris," she replies as her cheeks are now fully flushed.

"Thank you Aeris, thank you for the gift of your smile, and the beautiful flower to remember you by," I reply as I take her hand in mine and gently kiss the top, I then turn to walk away.

"Wait, what is your name?" She asks in a slight panic reaching forward as though to stop my retreat.

"My name? My name is … Angel," I tell her. I then watch as she commits that to memory, a child-like smile gracing her perfect lips.

Angel, ironic name to choose for the Angel of Death, I think to myself as I slip into the shadows unnoticed. I watch her look for me before turning and resuming her sales, or lack thereof.

I once again lift the flower to my nose; I silently thank her once again before placing the delicate creation gently in my pocket and disappear into the alley behind me.

**AaAaA**

As I continue to wander, I find myself unable to shake the memory of the flower girl's smile. Aeris, the name of a real angel. While my mind was wandering, my feet were as well, for I soon found myself in the Sector 5 slums. I hadn't been here in years, not since I was recruited by ShinRa.

Sticking to the shadows I wander in and out of the light, my passing like a shadow over the moon. I soon find myself standing in front of the old church that my parents would bring me to. In years past it was the last remaining piece of hope and faith in the slums, but now it to had died, leaving nothing but a broken husk.

Standing in the shadows on the Church rooftop I am able to view the majority of the slum stretching out in front of me. I watch as the people below go about their daily lives, sheltered from the truth about ShinRa. The truth that I know and will take with me to my grave.

Slowly I let my eyes wander over the streets, my mind considering the possible places to stay. As I do so I am suddenly aware of a flutter of motion in my peripheral. I focus all my attention on the sight of a pink blur, running through the streets as a gang of darker shapes followed. I knew what it was, I'd seen them when I was growing up, it was a street gang, the kind that would rob and rape, the kind that should be hunted down and eliminated. Jumping from the roof, I seemed to float to the ground, my feet taking off in the direction of the gang.

As I approached, I could hear the sounds of a struggle, the girl was fighting, that's good. I could also hear the sounds of the men laughing, there were around eight of them, or so it seemed.

I slowly approached them, my Katana sliding soundlessly from its sheath. I held it in a striking position as I appeared from the shadows. They didn't see me; they were too focused on the girl they were tearing the clothes off of. My eyes took in the girl's features, they widen as I realized who it was.

In the air, the sound of pants being unzipped was heard. They were moving in for the kill, preparing to rape this innocent woman. I decided that now was a good time to intervene.

Stepping fully into the light, she noticed me, as did the gang.

"It would be best if you left her alone," I said as I rested the Katana on my shoulder.

"And it would be best if you left," the leader sneered as he held a piece of pink cloth in his hand, the girl now wearing very little. He ignored me then, returning to unzipping his pants, and removing her clothes.

I looked around, realizing that they were totally ignoring me, their second mistake. The first was choosing this girl. I quickly scanned the gang, half had their pants around their ankles and were standing there in boxers, and the other half was holding the girl down, helping to rip her clothes off. With a sigh I made my position clear.

"That's not gonna happen. So I advise you release her and leave with your lives."

He just shook his head and gestured in my direction. The other members rushed me; I raised my Katana and saluted as they approached. Bringing the blade down I cut the pipe that was flying at my head in two, delivering a kick to the stomach of the man holding it. I followed that with a roundhouse kick that sent him crashing into the wall. Realizing that they posed me no harm, I threw my Katana into a nearby wooden beam, the blade burying itself half way into it. I wanted to do this with my hands.

As I watched the other six circle me, I kept my eyes on the leader, he had decided to rape and run. He began tearing at her remaining clothes, her screams seeming to fuel him. Noting the shape of my opponents I quickly begin dispatching them.

I rushed the first man and slammed my hand into his face, shattering his jaw and snapping the cartilage in his nose. I follow that with an elbow to the face, knocking teeth from his broken jaw. Grabbing him I slammed his head into the wall, knocking him out. I pick up his body and throw him at the other five. They dodge, allowing me time to get inside their defenses.

The next man I grabbed his arm and swung it up behind his back, shattering the shoulder joint. I then slam both fists into the sides of his head, rendering him unconscious.

I turn to the remaining four. They just look at me, unsure about what to do. I use this hesitancy against them. I move quickly to where they stand, delivering kicks and blows. After a minute of this barrage they fall to the ground, unconscious as well.

By this time their leader has decided to leave, his rape interrupted, his gang disabled. He began running, but I wasn't going to let him get away, he need a lesson in how to treat a lady.

I remove a hidden dagger from my leg and toss it with little care. I watch as my aim perfectly hits him in the leg, just behind the knee. He crumples to the ground, crying out in pain, trying to remove the knife that was embedded in the bone.

I walked to him and stepped on the knife handle, sending it deeper into the tendon and bone, possibly crippling that leg forever. I slowly pull the knife easily from his knee, eliciting as much pain as I can, a skill I am quite good at. I then grabbed his shirt and cut it off him. I tore the shirt into strips and used it to quickly tie off the wound. The remaining strips I used to gag him. Taking the blubbering man to the nearest light pole, I removed his belt and used it to hang his hands above his head, his feet hanging inches from the ground. As he hung there I slowly and quietly whispered to him.

"If I ever see you or your gang so much as look at a woman the wrong way, I will return to personally castrate each and every one of you in the night. But that is just the beginning of the pain I shall inflict upon you, especially if you ever touch her again. Do you understand me?"

He only nodded, the fear evident in his eyes as I back away toward the girl.

"Good," I said before turning and walking to the girl I saved. I look at the remains of her clothes, they would no longer cover her, and her undergarments were almost gone. I gently pick her up and stand her on her feet. I remove my cloak and wrap it around her body; she looks up at me in a daze before passing out in my arms.

"Come Aeris," I say as I pick her up in my arms, "let's get you someplace safe."

I walk past where my Katana waited, pulling it from the beam, leaving a splintered mess as I sheathed the blade against my back, the Gang bangers laying unconscious around the alley.

**AaAaA**

As we disappeared into the shadows I realized there was only one safe place to take her. I decided to keep to the rooftops so as not to be seen. As I carried her, I realized that she hardly weighed a thing; she was as light in my arms as the flower she sold me was in my pocket. I smiled at the analogy as I reached my destination, the Sector 5 Church.

As I entered the attic of the building, I searched my memory to see where the priests' rooms were located. I was once an Alter boy here; in my youth I had done many chores around the old church. Cleaning the priests' rooms, placing fresh flowers around the church. Ironically enough, my father was one of the Deacons. The senior priest, a man named Dale Leander, was my godfather. Sadly he passed away while I was in the employ of ShinRa, so I was unable to be at his funeral.

As I carried Aeris to the bedroom, I scanned the halls, many people in the slums would love to have access to these beds, and some would even kill for it.

After discovering that no one knew these beds were here, I carefully place Aeris on one. With a sigh, I slowly remove my cloak from around her petite body, careful of any injuries she may have received.

As I took a closer look, I realized that her undergarments were intact enough not to distract me while I searched for injuries; after all, I'm only human. Throwing my cloak on the table I begin searching for injuries.

I took her left hand and began to gently feel down its length, looking for fractures or broken bones, my heightened sense of touch allowing me to apply minimal pressure to find anything broken. Being trained to kill, I know everything about the human body, all the bones and how to break them. All the pressure points and the best way to use them against my opponent. Being trained this way also mean I know how to heal those bones, and use those points to relieve pain. Most of the time, this knowledge was a curse, now it was a blessing.

Finishing with her left arm, I begin on her right. So far nothing broken, although she will have bruises on her arms in the morning, the rape gang wasn't gentle, but then again, they never are.

Moving to her neck and head I discover that she hit her head, hard according to the size of the bump. She'll have a headache to go with those bruises. I move to her legs, only feeling as far as her knees.

I sigh as I discover the worse of her injuries is the bump to her head, so far. But I need to check her stomach and back.

Gently I begin moving my hands over her stomach, concentrating as an electric shock runs through my body while touching her. Ignoring it, I focus on her ribs. Feeling with delicate fingers, I trace each one carefully,

The feather soft movements of my fingers cause her to giggle in her sleep; I smile at this, but continue my searching. She jerks slightly when I press on a rib on her left side; it seems to be bruised only.

I sigh in relief as I realize that she has no broken ribs, she was lucky. Other girls would be a total mess. Moving my hand I place it on her stomach, resting it as I felt for the telltale buildup of blood, signaling a forming bruise.

Finding a half dozen forming bruises, all in the shape of human fingers, I begin planning the herbs I'd need to help lessen her pain.

Keeping my mental list going, I slowly turn her onto her stomach. She lets out a soft groan as the rib pushes painfully against the bed.

I wince as I see where she hit the ground, her back would be stiff for a few days, no doubt about that. I tentatively touch the bruising, her body stiffens, but I continue to search and find nothing broken.

As I search, I am careful of the raw scrapes on her back. She must have slid when she hit the ground. Quickly I count five long, deep cuts down her shoulders, and another half dozen scrapes on her lower back and thighs. Thanking whatever Divine being still liked me, I was pleased to notice that there was no blood on her panties. The added material protected her butt from the rough ground.

Getting up, I go to the bathroom and get a bowl of warm water and a scrap of cloth, immensely luck that there was any water let alone warm water. I begin cleaning the dried blood off her back. The gashes on her shoulders begin to bleed again as I clean them. I just continue to clean the flowing blood, my water growing redder by the minute. After finally getting the wounds to at least stop bleeding, I return to the bathroom and leave the bowl in the sink.

As I approach her unconscious form, I realize that she really is an Angel, from her beautiful creamy skin, to her chestnut hair. But the thing that grabs me the most, isn't any of that, it's her eyes. Her unfathomable emerald eyes seem to draw me into their depths, a place I find myself unwilling to leave, eyes I'd willing spend eternity looking into. But then I think rationally, what am I to her? I'm only a guy who bought a flower, that and nothing more.

Realizing the foolishness of falling in love with her, I decide to just complete the mission I had set and then leave her life forever.

With my shopping list mentally completed, I cover her with the blanket, wrapping the cloak around me again. I write a quick note to her, explaining where I went. I just hope she remembers what happened; this would be a pain to explain to her.

**AaAaA**

15 minutes later I return to the church with several changes of clothes, food, and medicine.

As I enter the room I see that she has only moved to cover her head with the blankets. I sigh as I realize that she's ok, but quickly duck as I sense an object flying at my head. I hit the floor and continue to roll, the groceries staying in the bag as I do. I quickly bring my knife up, ready to fly at my attacker. I stop my hand when I see Aeris, standing there looking sheepish as she held the remains of a coat rack, her impromptu weapon.

"Nice to see you still have that fighter's spirit," I quip as I stare at her; she slowly lowers the coat rack, placing it near the door again.

"Thank you, that's the second time you've done something nice for me," she replied as she pulled back the covers and revealed the pillows shaped into human form. She moved the pillows before slipping into the bed and covering herself.

"No problem, it goes against my nature to allow harm to come to an innocent," I lie, "Personally, I hate street gangs."

"They've been after me for months now. I guess I just got unlucky today," she said with a shrug.

"Or maybe it was fate," I whisper quietly as I unpack what I bought. "Ok, I bought you some clothes, considering how you don't have any anymore. You can't possible go out in the slums in just your underwear, especially as beautiful as you are."

Did I say that out loud? My question is answered as she blushes and hides her eyes.

I cough to cover the awkward situation as I pull the pink nightshirt from the bag, followed by the other pink clothes. All total there were two pairs of shirts, 4 pairs of socks and 2 sets of underwear, also pink. I finished by pulling out two pairs of brown pants and a cloak like my own.

I toss her the nightshirt.

"Put that on," I tell her as I sort the food from the medicine. When I turn back around she's sitting on the edge of the bed wearing the nightshirt, it fell just below her knees. I smile as I approach her.

"Ok, here's the situation. You have some deep cuts on your back and a bump on your head. Nothing's broken," I tell her as I move to sit in front of her. "But you do have a lot of bruising. I bought some herbs that will help to reduced the pain and swelling, and some medicine to help the cuts heal. You'll be sore for a few days, as I'm sure you noticed when swinging the coat rack," I tease her and watch her blush again. "Aside from that there's nothing I can do."

"Thank you," she says as she leans forward and places a quick kiss on my cheek. I just look at her as she blushes. I smile in return.

"Aeris, how old are you?" I ask her as I get up and return to the grocery bags.

"Almost 22, why?"

"I was wondering why a young lady like yourself would be out on the streets at the time of night you were, if you were a teenager then I would say you were rebelling, but since you're not. What were you doing out at that time? Didn't you know that's when the gangs are the most active?"

"Well, I was on my way home when the street gang jumped me."

I only nod as I continue to put the groceries away, she watches me the entire time.

"Um, I was wondering if I could ask you a few questions?" she asks after watching me for a few moments, eyes half closed in thought.

"Sure, go ahead," I reply as I sit on the bed next to her, making it easier for her to look at me.

"The way you fight, are you a soldier?" She asked looking into my eyes; I break the gaze and look at the floor as I contemplate my answer.

"No," I pause, not sure how to tell her what I really am. I look back up at her and realize that of all the people in the city, I can trust her. There's no real reason that I know, I just do.

"No," I repeat, "I was a soldier once, long ago. But now, I was an assassin for ShinRa. They taught me how to fight, ironic that those skills would also be useful to heal. Like your wounds, I know how to cause them and heal them."

When I answered her eyes grew large and she appeared to be frightened.

I sigh as I stand up.

"Look, I'm sorry. I can see that you're upset by this information, I'll leave. I'll put some Gil on the table, you can go home in the morning, and it was nice meeting you."

I tell her as I start walking toward the door, grabbing my cloak from the table. As my hand touches the doorknob, I feel a gentle hand rest on my upper arm.

"No, please don't go. I … I don't want to be alone, not after what happened." As I just stand there, my back to her, she places her other hand on my back. "Please say something Angel."

She's begging me to talk to her, begging me to say anything. But as I think about it, there's nothing for me to say.

"That's not my name, Aeris." I finally say as I turn to face her, her hand resting on my chest, pulling at the cloth of my shirt, kneading like a kitten. Never before had anyone been so needful of me, to open me up. Her eyes digging into my soul to uncover the truth.

"What?" she asks as she narrows her eyes, wondering if she made a mistake no doubt.

"If I told you my real name, your very life would be in danger. I don't want to do that to you, you're too special of a person. I can see in your eyes that you have the potential to get out of this stinking city and have a happy life, I don't want to take that from you."

I just watch her emerald eyes as she tries to decide what to do. After a few moments hesitation she takes my arm and leads me to a chair. As I sit down she sits on the bed next to me.

"Why?" is all she asks. I sigh, how do I explain all this to her? How can I possibly explain my life to this innocent girl?

"It's difficult to explain," I begin, forming the words as I go. "My life up to this point has been nothing, just one job after another, one murder, after another. I've seen more death in the past 8 years than most people see in their entire lifetimes. The ironic part is I was the one who caused the deaths."

"Tell me about your life, please?" she begs me, her eyes shining as she held back tears. Tears? Why would she be crying, not for me, not for a killer? Would she?

"Why do you cry?" I asked gently placing my hand on the side of her face.

"I cry for the pain that you've been through. No person should have to face that pain alone." She answers as a tear falls down her cheek, only to be rubbed from existence by my thumb.

"You have no idea what it is to be alone. You want to know my story, honestly?"

She only nods, her hand now holding mine, her thumb gently rubbing my knuckles.

"Very well then, I will tell you."

I sigh as I begin my story, she'll be the only other living person to know it.

"I was born in the small town of Nibelheim. It's not really very significant, just a small town at the base of Mt. Nibel. When I was 2 years old, my parents moved to this city, this Sector actually. My father was a deacon in this Church. My Godfather was senior priest here; I was an altar boy for many years. Those were happier times though, when I was four I watched in horror as my Mother and Father were killed before my eyes by a street gang. They didn't want to rape my Mother, they only wanted our money. When my Father gave them all we had they demanded more, thinking by their clothes that they were loaded. Sadly we had been coming from a wedding; we were all dressed in our finest clothes. The gang held my Mother as they beat my Father close to death, my Mother joining him soon after. After beating them they shot them, execution style in the back of the head. One shot each, right behind the left ear, they died instantly. During this whole thing I was being held by a gang member, now it was my turn. They let me go and I ran to my parent's bodies, crying. As I ran one of the gang aimed his gun and shot me in the back. As I fell to the ground, the last thing I saw was the gang going through my parents' belongings, finding no money. After that I passed out, waking up a week later in these very rooms."

"Grandpa, as I called my Godfather, found me bleeding into the gutter, almost dead. He brought me back here and nursed me to health. After that I became an altar boy to show my appreciation. I did what ever I could for the man that saved my life. For eight years I did this, until the Great War broke out. At this time I was 12 years old, the army was desperate for soldiers. I signed up, always trying to help. By the time I was in basic training, the war was over. Wutai had surrendered, and they no longer need all the 'child-soldiers' as we were called. Except for me, all others were released back to their lives. All of them forgot the little training they'd received, but I was special. I was part of the sniper team, one of the best actually. ShinRa took me and trained me, I was 13 then. When I was 14 they put me to work as an assassin, first it was for the army, then after about 2 years they made me their corporate assassin."

"My job was to remove anyone ShinRa considered a threat to the company, and that's what I did. For six more years I did that until yesterday. Yesterday I 'retired' from ShinRa and tried to walk away from that old life, and that's when I met you. After buying the flower I wandered the streets, eventually ending up back here, the place that was my home for so many years. Sadly it too fell to the loss of faith that plagued this city after the war. I learned that several years after becoming ShinRa's assassin, Grandpa died. I had missed the funeral because I was away from Midgar, killing the head of a rival company's Research Department. I came here, hoping to try and redeem my wasted existence. I was standing on this very roof when I spotted you running from the street gang. Memories of my parents boiled to the surface as I flew to stop them and save the poor girl they were after. When I arrived I saw it was you and that only intensified my rage. The rest is history. That's who I am, a monster, a killer trying to do a little good before he dies."

All through my story she merely sat there, holding my hand, lending me her strength to continue the telling. Now she sat beside me, her arm around my shoulder as I let my silent tears fall.

"So that's why you hate street gangs so much, they took your parents," she asked as she held me. I shook my head.

"No, there's more than that, but I don't have the strength to tell it, but someday I may." I tell her as I cry into her shoulder, the memories fresh on the surface.

"Shhhh," she soothed as she rubbed my back. "Its ok, let it out. You no longer need to carry this pain alone. I'll be with you, by your side, whenever you need me. I too am an orphan, my parents died when I was younger. My mother died giving birth to me and my father joined her a few years later. I know what it is to have no family."

We held each other as our shared losses brought memories to the surface. Our shoulders accepting the tears of the other as we cried.

Sometime later, we fell asleep, still holding each other, totally exhausted by memories.

**AaAaA**  
[End Part 1]


End file.
